Caster



H. MULLER Oct. 17, 1933.

CASTER 2 She ets-Sheetl Filed Aug. 22, 1932 Oct. 17, 1933. H. MULLER1,931,446

C'ASTER I Filed Aug. 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1933 ICASTEB Hans Miiller, Langenfeld, Germany Application August 22,.

3Claims.

In order to make bedsteads movable the feet are provided with casters.It is important, especially in beds for sick persons,. that they shouldstand still and not be able to move about on the casters.

With thisobject in view, according to the invention, each caster isconnected with the foot in such a manner that it can be put in or out ofaction by a simple lever movement. This can be arranged in various ways,two.of which are illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one construction in the operatingposition,

Fig. 2 is the same in the position of rest.

Fig. 3 is a plan view,

Fig. 4 shows asecond construction in the position of rest,

Fig. 5 is the same in the operating position, and

Fig. 6 is a plan.

In the first construction, as shown in Fig. 3, the operating lever is abell crank lever rotatably mounted on the axle of the wheel which cantake up two different positions under the action of a locking spring. Inone position the foot of the bed is lifted against the roller so thatthe bed can be moved, and in the other position the foot is spring 16presses, which is secured 'to the upper dropped so that the bed willstand still.

The foot 1 of the bed is enclosed by a tubular sleeve 2, the upper partof which in a known marrner has a number of slots and which can besecured by means of a contracting clip 3 and a clamping screw 4. Foriixingthe sleeve 2 on the tubular member 1 the foot 5 is removed andsubsequently replaced. Round the sleeve 2, below the clip 3 which alsoserves as a stop, is placed a rotatable clip 6 which at the bottom canbear against the projecting edge 7 on the'sleeve 2 when the wheel is outof action (Fig. 2) while having space in which to'move up and down. Theclip 6 has at one side .a tangential arm 8 which at its end is securedby means of a pivot 9 to the shorter limb 10 of the bell crank lever,the longer limb 11 of which is formed as a foot lever and serves foroperating the device; The lever is mounted'at its fulcrum on the axle 12of the wheel 13. The shorter arm lo'of the-lever has at its end two flatsurfaces 14 and 15 against which a powerful leaf flat surface of the arm8 by means of a screw 17. The end of the arm 8 is forked and the end ofthe arm 10 of the lever engages in this fork. At the inside of theforkrecess two bearing surfaces 18 and 19 arranged at an obtuse angleare provided. against which the rear flat edge of the arm 16 1932,Serial No. 629,983,

d in Germany March 28, 1932 of the lever bears in the two end positionsso that its movement is limited. The spring 16 secures it in thesepositions.

If the device is put in action from the rest position by depressing thefoot lever 11, the lever raises the foot 1 of the bed from the floor bymeans of the arm 8 and the clip 6.- When the lever is moved, thesupporting point 9 moves fromthe position ofrest shown in Fig. 2 overthe vertical central axis of the wheel into the operating position shownin Fig. 1. In this position the lever is secured by the spring 16 sothat it cannot slip back. 1 a

In the second construction shown in Figs. 4-6. no spring is provided andthe operating position of the wheel is secured by other means.

The wheel 13 is again secured to the foot 1 of the bed by an arm 8 and aclip 6. The arm 8'is preferably forked so that the wheel lies betweenthe forks. The clip 6 again embraces the leg of the bed between twocollars which in this case are preferably arranged below the actual leg1 of the bed on an extension thereof. For this purpose asplit sleeve 20is inserted in the lower end of the leg 1 which sleeve is secured to theso inner wall of the tube by inserting a conical wedge 21 by means of ascrew 22. The screw 22 is continued at the bottom as the bolt 23, thelower end of which is enclosed by the actually enlarged foot 24 of thebed. The latter is attached to the bolt 23 by means of a screw 25. Whenthe screw 22 is tightened by turning the bolt 23, the cone 21 is drawninto the split sleeve 20 and thereby this I and the bolt 23 are securedto the leg of the bed. The parts are prevented from being unintention 9oally released by the lateral fixing screws 26 which prevent the rotationof the screw 22 with respect .to the bush 20.

The sleeve 2 with a projecting collar '1 at the .bottom hes looselyround the shaft 23 of the bolt while a corresponding upper collar isformed by the projecting lower part of the sleeve 20.

The sleeve 2 is loosely enclosed by the clip 6. The clip 6 with the arm8 cannot be moved up and down. In contradlstinction thereto, in this moconstruction the sleeve 2 together with the leg of the bed is raised orlowered with respect to the clip 6. It is lifted by means of the bellcrank lever 27, 28'which is secured to the arm 8 by the pivot 29. Theshort arm'2'l of the'lever is pivoted to 1 a connecting-rod 30 which issecured to a pivot 31 on the lower end of the sleeve 2 or the collar "I.The longer arm 28 of the lever serves for operating the device by beingpressed by hand or by the foot. 11' the lever 28 is pressed from itsrest posin0 tion (Fig. 4) into the operating position (Figs. 5

and 6), the connecting rod leaves the sleeve 2 and with it the whole ofthe leg of the bed with respect to the clip 6 so that the'foot 24 israised from the floor. In this position the bed can be moved on its fourcasters. I

In order to secure the device in the operating position a connecting rod30 with its upper point oi attachment 32 to the lever 27 is movedthrough the position of equilibrium to such an extent that it is notpossible for the lever to slip back of itself even with considerablevibration due to unevenness in the floor. The end position of the leverand the connecting rod 30 is fixed by a stop 33 on the arm 8 againstwhich the rod 30 bears clare that what I claim is:

1. In combination a leg member, a bearing arm slidably and pivotallymounted on the lower extremity of said leg member, a caster journaled insaid bearing arm, a hand lever pivotally mounted on said bearing arm, alever arm actuated'by the hand lever, a connecting rod pivotallyconnected at one end to the lower extremity oi the leg momber and at theother end to the extremity of the the hand lever and the lever arm, thebearing arm is moved vertically with respect to the leg memher, the axisof the hand lever being so arranged with respect to the pivot points ofthe connecting rod that the latter is moved into and beyond its deadcenter position as the hand lever is moved in one direction to displacethe bearing arm downwardly with respect to the leg member and therebycrieratively position said caster, and a stop carried by the bearing armand engaged by the lever arm when the latter moves beyond dead centerpodtion.

- 2. In combination, a leg member, a bearing arm mounted to movevertically on the leg member, the portion oi the leg member engaged bysaid bearing arm being reduced in diameter and defining shoulders, acaster journaled in said bearing arm, a bell crank lever pivoted to saidbearing arm and a rod pivotaliy connected with one of the arms of thebell crank and with the lower extremity of the leg member whereby whenthe bell crank is turned in one direction the-"bearing arm and casterare moved downwardly with respect to said leg member 3. An amusement asclaimed in claim 2, characteriaed by the provision of a stop memberengageable by said bell crank when the latter and the rod move beyonddead center.

- HANS MUILER.

